April 1, 2016 AT 3:00 pm

Home security systems are a growing field of projects for Makers. A self-built system is not only less expensive than a bulky professional installation, but it also allows for total control and customization to suit your needs.

For this project, you will need a regular USB webcam, a PIR motion sensor and a Raspberry Pi 2 or a MinnowBoard Max. Refer to the “Components and Supplies” section below for the store links of the required materials.

Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, or even use Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for MakeCode, CircuitPython, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.